McDaniel v. Paty
McDaniel v. Paty, 435 U.S. 618 (1978), was a United States Supreme Court case that struck down the last remaining state restriction against religious ministers holding elected office.
| McDaniel v. Paty | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued December 5, 1977 Decided April 19, 1978 | |
| Full case name | McDaniel v. Paty |
| Citations | 435 U.S. 618 (more) 98 S. Ct. 1322; 55 L. Ed. 2d 593 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Paty v. McDaniel, 547 S.W.2d 897 (Tenn. 1977); probable jurisdiction noted, 432 U.S. 905 (1977). |
| Holding | |
| A state law that forbade ordained ministers from elected office is unconstitutional. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Plurality | Burger, joined by Powell, Rehnquist, Stevens |
| Concurrence | Brennan, joined by Marshall |
| Concurrence | Stewart |
| Concurrence | White |
| Blackmun took no part in the consideration or decision of the case. | |
Background
McDaniel was a Baptist minister from Chattanooga, Tennessee. He filed as a candidate to be a delegate to the 1977 Tennessee State Constitutional Convention. His opponent successfully challenged his candidacy based on a state law that forbade ordained ministers from elected office.
Decision
In an 8–0 decision, the court ruled that the state law violated both the First and Fourteenth Amendments. A modified version of the statute, prohibiting "ministers of the Gospel" from serving in the Tennessee legislature, remains as Article IX, Section 1. of the Tennessee State Constitution.[1]
References
External links
- Text of McDaniel v. Paty, 435 U.S. 618 (1978) is available from: Justia Library of Congress Oyez (oral argument audio)